Germany vows to intensify military ties with Finland, Sweden

BERLIN (AA) – Germany on Tuesday announced that it will intensify military ties with Finland and Sweden following their decision to apply for NATO membership.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a news conference in Berlin that Germany supports the NATO membership bids of the two Nordic countries and it will now take steps to enhance defense cooperation with them.

“We will intensify our military cooperation, especially in the Baltic Sea region, and conduct joint military exercises,” he stressed.

Scholz did not give further details about the plan, which came after media reports that claimed both Finland and Sweden asked for security guarantees from their Western partners for the period between their application and accession to NATO.

The German chancellor said Berlin will make every effort for a swift NATO accession process for Finland and Sweden, and stressed that the two countries can rely on Germany’s support.

Asked about Turkiye’s reservations for Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership bids, Scholz said he is hopeful that all NATO allies would soon reach an agreement on the matter.

The Finnish and Swedish governments are expected to hand over their NATO membership applications on Wednesday.

Both countries need the unanimous support of NATO’s 30 member states to join the military alliance.

Turkiye, a longstanding NATO member, has voiced its objections to Finland and Sweden’s membership bids, criticizing the two Nordic countries for tolerating and even supporting terror groups like the YPG/PKK and FETO.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkiye, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 injured.

The Turkish government accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.